Houston Astros mark final regular season games with Dollar Dogs, super swag, yoga, and more

Catch José Altuve and other heroes before the playoffs.

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The Houston Astros are dominating the American League and in a juicy twist, are currently seven games ahead of the New York Yankees as the best team in the league. With the playoffs fast approaching, fans are clamoring to see our hometown heroes in their final home stand of the season.

Games this week feature the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, the Tampa Bay Rays, and Philadelphia Phillies and include the usual fan-favorite activities. As always, tickets are available online — get those playoff tickets soon.

Here's a rundown of the games and events.

Tuesday, September 27 – Astros vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: 7:10 pm

A First Responders Coin presented by LyondellBasell will be available to 10,000 fans, and Dollar Dog Night returns with unlimited dogs for a buck.

The Astros Foundation and Honeywell will celebrate 10 STEM teachers in the Houston area who earned the STEM Teacher Hall of Fame Award in a pregame ceremony. Each Hall of Fame Award winner will receive pregame recognition, a $2,000 check, and a Honeywell and Astros gift pack.

Wednesday, September 28 – Astros vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: 7:10 pm

All fans can score a Yuli Gurriel AL Champion Replica Ring presented by Gallery Furniture will be available to all fans in attendance. One lucky fan in attendance will receive a personalized ALCS Elite Fan Ring, boasting real diamonds and 10k white gold.

Wednesday is also the Cadence Bank Houston Open Night at Minute Maid Park. More than 1,000 kids and their families that participate in First Tee of Greater Houston will be in attendance, with a ceremonial first pitch in conjunction with Cadence Bank Houston Open Night.

The Cadence Bank Houston Open is set for November 10-13 at Memorial Park Golf Course. Tickets are on sale now.

Friday, September 30 – Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays: 7:10 pm

The first10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Yuli Gurriel Orange Astros Jersey presented by Schlumberger. Pregame Happy Hour presented by Budweiser runs 5 pm- 7pm.

As always, Friday night concludes with Friday Night Fireworks of the regular season presented by ConocoPhillips (weather permitting). Fans voted for K-Pop as the night's music.

Saturday, October 1 – Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays: 6:10 pm
The first 10,000 fans score a Jeremy Pena Bobblehead presented by Taquerias Arandas. Saturday also marks Domestic Violence Awareness Day at Minute Maid Park, with a pregame ceremony and ceremonial first pitch.

Sunday, October 2 – Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays: 1:10 pm

The first 10,000 fans will receive an Astros Bucket Hat presented by Xfinity. Sunday is also Yoga Day at Minute Maid Park, where fans can purchase a $40 add-on package to participate in yoga (led by a professional yoga instructor) for 45 minutes after the conclusion of the game. Those who purchase the add-on will also receive an Astros yoga block, cooling towel, water bottle, and drawstring bag. For more information and to sign up, please visit the Yoga Day site.

For the final time during the 2022 regular season, Sunday will features the Astros’ Kids Run The Bases event, open to kids ages 5-12.

Monday, October. 3 – Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies: 7:10 pm

The final series of the 2022 regular season against the Philadelphia Phillies opens with all fans receiving a Dusty Baker AL Champion Replica Ring presented by Coca-Cola. For the last time this season, one fortunate fan in attendance at the game will receive a personalized ALCS Elite Fan Ring, with real diamonds and 10k white gold.

As it is Space City Monday, the Astros will don their Nike City Connect Space City uniforms.

The Astros will also recognize the longtime Astros executive Jamie Hildreth and his family in the Houston Baseball Media Wall of Honor pregame ceremony.

Tuesday, October 4 – Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies: 7:10 pm

Hot dog fans, head up: This is the final Dollar Dog Night with unlimited dogs for a buck. Héctor Herrera, star midfielder for the Houston Dynamo, will throw out a ceremonial first pitch.

Also, the Astros will join Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana in celebrating 10,000 local wishes granted by Make-A-Wish over the past 38 years. Prior to the game, wish kids Adrian (from Corpus Christi, 12 years old); Elizabeth (Houston, 14); and Lourdes (Houston, 18) will meet Astros’ superstars Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker and lovable mascot Orbit. The wish kids will join the team for batting practice, pregame activities, and more.

Wednesday, October 5 – Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies: 3:10 pm

The Astros will celebrate fans with Fan Appreciation Day. One-of-a-kind prizes will be given out to select fans each half-inning of the game along with much more. For more information, visit the Fan Appreciation Day site.

pucker up

Growing pickleball franchise smashes into Houston with 2 locations

Two men play pickleball on a Picklr court.

Photo courtesy of The Picklr

A Picklr court campus similar to the ones soon to open in Houston.

Pickleball is one of the hottest sports sweeping the nation, and one of the biggest names in the game is setting up two new facilities in Houston. Picklr is scheduled to open indoor sports campuses in Cypress and The Woodlands in the coming months.

“Bringing a pickleball facility to Cypress will not only provide a fun and engaging recreational outlet for residents of all ages, but will also foster a sense of community and promote a healthy and active lifestyle,” said Steve Nguyen, owner of The Picklr Cypress.“This facility will serve as a vibrant hub for social interaction, skill development, and friendly/competitive competition, enhancing community bonds and offering a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy.”

Although the game is approximately 60 years old, pickleball saw a massive spike in popularity following the pandemic when people were looking for fun group activities with easy points of entry. Though a racket sport like tennis, it is far easier and slower thanks to using perforated balls, smaller courts, and lighter paddles. This means the game is open to players of all ages, and was originally most popular with retirees. Now, there are roughly 5 million players across America, with players under 24 making up the majority. Houston even has its own professional team, the Hammers (not the Texas Hammer; that's this guy).

The court in Cypress will be located in the old ASI Gymnastics building at 8920 Barker Cypress. It's a relatively modest facility with only six courts including a practice court. By contrast, The Woodlands location will be much more opulent. At 66,517 square feet, it will have 20 courts, 4 private event spaces (one with an exclusive viewing area), as well as a shower, changing room, dry bar, and kitchenette. Picklr The Woodlands will be located at 16590 Interstate I-45 South.

These locations are the first for Picklr in Houston. They have twelve locations all throughout Texas, including in Round Rock and McKinney, and many more nationwide. Picklr locations operate on a membership model similar to a gym. Memberships run $159 a month for adults and $89 for minors, with unlimited access to open play, league play, and tournaments , as well as four free clinics a month. Additional coaching is available.

There is currently no set opening date for the two Houston-area Picklrs. Players interested in learning more may sign up for updates at ThePicklr.com.

pickleball openings